The current edition of the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival 2025, the largest event of its kind in the world, continued on Wednesday evening at its headquarters in Mulham (north of Riyadh). The competitions witnessed great excitement with the announcement of the results of two rounds of the "Beauty" contest, which is one of the most important pillars of the festival and attracts elite falconers and those interested in the beauty of falcons.
Results of the beauty contest rounds and crowning of the winners
The main platform witnessed the crowning of the winners of the King Abdulaziz Cup, with the results being as follows:
- Free round of free-range falcons (for locals): Falconer Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Buainain first place and the King’s Cup, followed by Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Buainain in second place, Abdullah Rashid Al-Marri in third place, Ghanem Madath Al-Dosari in fourth place, and Abdullah Ghanem Al-Dosari in fifth place.
- Black/Dark Free Round: Falconer Ghanem Madath Al-Dossari first place and the King’s Cup, Sultan Al-Duwaikh came in second place, Salem Madath Al-Dossari came in third place, Salman Al Abdulghani came in fourth place, and Badr Hamad Al-Dossari came in fifth place.
Consolidating cultural heritage and strengthening identity
The “Al Mazayen” competition, held as part of the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, is organized within the framework of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to preserve the rich cultural heritage associated with falconry, which is registered on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The festival aims to instill this tradition in the hearts of new generations and connect the present with the rich past, as falconry is considered an integral part of the identity and history of the Arabian Peninsula.
The beauty contest relies on precise criteria to evaluate the beauty of the falcon, including the harmony of the feathers, the color, the size of the head, and the size of the eyes, making it an artistic competition that highlights the magnificence of the Creator in these birds of prey, and confirms the interest of Saudi falconers in acquiring and training the best breeds.
Million-dollar prizes support the falconry sector
The Saudi Falcons Club has allocated substantial cash prizes for the festival, totaling over 38 million riyals , distributed across the Al-Malwah and Al-Mazayin competitions. Specifically regarding the Al-Mazayin competitions, the first-place winner will receive 300,000 riyals, the second-place winner 175,000 riyals, the third-place winner 100,000 riyals, the fourth-place winner 30,000 riyals, and the fifth-place winner 20,000 riyals.
This generous support not only impacts the competitive aspect, but also contributes to revitalizing the economic activity associated with the hobby of falconry, from production farms to the auction market and hunting supplies, thus enhancing the Kingdom’s position as a leading global destination for falconers.
The beauty contest is scheduled to conclude its activities for this week today, Thursday, with two highly anticipated rounds for the “Pure Gyrfalcon Chick” and “Pure Gyrfalcon Adult” categories for locals, amid great anticipation from the public to find out the champions of these categories.
